New Beginnings
by Aranel1994
Summary: Corvo's arrival to Dunwall, as well as some personal background on his life. Trying to stay somewhat true to the timeline of the story.
1. Chapter 1

_Note: I do not own Dishonored. The names of characters mean literally what the character does or who they are. Italian is serving as the Serkonan language, since Corvo means 'crow' in Italian. I used Google Translate, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. _

Chapter One: Arrival

The air was much cooler than that of Serkonos, and the sky a dreary gray color. The monotonous city loomed ahead of the ship, and Corvo suddenly longed for the openness of his homeland. For the wide expanse of its blue sky, the fiery sunsets, and the endless miles of beaches. He longed for the freedom that his island offered—to those who were free.

He couldn't help but hope that this modern city of Dunwall would become just another prison. That his service to the Emperor would treat him better than that of Lord Arturo. The man had taken advantage of Corvo's skills often, and many men had been unlucky enough to rub his Lordship the wrong way, and thus become the victim of Corvo's blade.

More than a few times Corvo had watched the man revel in his secretive victories, his eyes filled with delight over the death of nobles that competed for power with him. And more than a few times Corvo debated with himself whether he should murder the man. But doing so would not be a benefit to his status in society. Assassins that murdered well-paying masters would be less likely to ever be bought again. A fact that he reminded himself of whenever a man would be bent on his knees before him, begging him to accept their treasures in exchange for their lives or whenever he saw his master become more bloodthirsty with each order.

So Corvo desperately wished the Emperor was a man that preferred settling scores through shifting political powers and favors instead of spilling blood. Corvo had killed far too many people in his short 18 years.

The Lord's advisor, Sergio, approached Corvo and settled to his right, eyeing the city as well. He half turned to Corvo and presented a question to him in the language of Gristol. His mind scrambled to interpret the words. _Are you anxious to be in service of the Emperor?_ He shrugged his shoulders. The man smirked at him. "I believe you should have put a bit more effort into learning their language."

"Scrivo meglio di quanto io parlo."

Sergio looked at Corvo with an expectant face, and chuckled when Corvo gave a huff of frustration. "I write better… than I speak."

"Well, at least you're getting the hang of it, even if it is slow."

Corvo looked again at the city, now much closer is the ship began navigating into the harbor. He felt Sergio place his hand on his shoulder. "Le cose andranno meglio per voi qui." _Things will be better for you here_. Corvo nodded his head with gratefulness. The advisor was an abnormality amongst Serkonan nobility and had showed him an unusual amount of kindness.

A sudden flurry of activity overtook the deck as the sailors began preparing to dock. Heavy thumps rose from below deck, and Corvo grimaced at the sound of Lord Arturo's approaching presence. "It seems Dunwall's weather is not welcoming to visitor's who wish to usher in peace!" Arturo exclaimed in Serkonan. Both Corvo and the advisor bowed to the man.

"Let us hope that everything goes smoothly so that we may return home," the advisor replied.

"Not too quickly though. I'm afraid we'll be obligated to plan some 'vacations' here from time to time. And of course I'll wish to see Corvo every now and then!"

Corvo fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he kept a straight face and avoided looking at the man. His anxiousness to meet the Emperor suddenly reached an almost unbearable level. The advisor and Lord Arturo began discussing last minute details as the crew finished making port. Corvo settled into his usual mode of silent observation.

When the ship was finally anchored the three men descended from the deck and to the dock, where five Dunwall soldiers stood waiting for them. They bowed to Lord Arturo and led them to a carriage, adorned with teal flags with the Kaldwin seal sown into the fabric.

Lord Arturo and Sergio climbed into the carriage. The soldiers looked expectantly at Corvo, who stood outside the carriage. Arturo waved his hand. "He will follow behind." The door was closed and the driver twitched the reins, urging the horses forward.

The Dunwall soldiers eyed Corvo warily, as did the citizens they passed by. He ignored them, and took in the city instead. The buildings were large, larger than the ones that made up Karnaca. As they traveled through a market area, he was somewhat surprised to see that some color was hidden in the city as the stands displayed advertised in bright yellow, reds, and greens. Women passed by dressed mostly in muted colors, but here and there a woman passed dressed in something flashier. Certainly the clothing here was more ostentatious than the clothing in Serkonos.

Finally, the carriage arrived at the palace of the Emperor. The number of guards had increased as they approached, and so had the hard stares he was receiving. The carriage stopped and a guard opened the door for the lord and advisor. Arturo immediately began approaching the doors to the palace. Sergio motioned for Corvo to follow them, to which he obediently complied.

A small group was headed to greet them. Lord Arturo threw open his arms exclaimed, "Emperor Kaldwin, what a pleasure it is to finally arrive in your great city!" before bowing low. Corvo and Sergio followed suit. The man Arturo addressed grinned and reached out his hand to accept a handshake.

"Lord Arturo, I trust your voyage went well."

"Indeed. Emperor Kaldwin, I would like to introduce you to my advisor, Sergio, and Corvo Attano, my proprietary…guard."

The Emperor scanned Corvo up and down, seemingly not sure how to handle the term 'proprietary.' Corvo himself had never heard the word, but was aware of its relation to the word 'property.' Arturo had just hinted at his ownership of Corvo.

Emperor Kaldwin recovered and smiled again. He stepped aside and gestured at the man standing behind him. "Lord Arturo, I would like to introduce you to my Lord Protector Adalmund and," he gestured to a young teenage girl, who stood behind the Emperor, staring at the Serkonan men with wide gray eyes, "my daughter, Jessamine."

_So, this is my first Fanfiction! After playing through Dishonored over Christmas break and, to my horror, receiving the high chaos ending, I realized just how much I loved the game! I came to fanfiction to feed my addiction and have read many wonderful fics by other authors. Figured I could write my own. So please enjoy and review, as this is my first time ever presenting a work of fiction. I hope to update often. I only have a week and a half of this semester left before I get to return home and enjoy summertime. _


	2. Chapter 2

Jessamine peered at the strangers from Serkonos from behind her father. All three were tall and their skin was much tanner than that of the people of Gristol. Lord Arturo had a look of smugness about him, and his dark eyes sent a shiver down her spine. The advisor seemed much less threatening, standing beside the lord with a relaxed stance.

Her gaze was drawn mostly to the third figure, the man Corvo. Although Jessamine guess he was only a few years older than herself. His eyes were dark like that of his countrymen, but different. He stood there, still as a statue, dutiful and quiet. His posture was straight and tall—not because of pride. No, she could tell that this man did not have noble heritage. He simply looked… strong. Not threatening, but not relaxed.

Jessamine had learned that a person's eyes can tell you many things about them. And she did not like what she saw in Corvo's eyes. They were not dark and haughty like that of Lord Arturo, nor passive like Sergio's. They were… well, she wasn't quite sure. She looked into Corvo's eyes and saw emotions in them that she didn't know.

His chocolate eyes met hers suddenly, and she felt herself blush, having been caught staring. She averted her gaze and pretended to survey the courtyard. She still felt his eyes on her, and she became uncomfortable. Suddenly her father turned and began motioning for the men to follow them into the palace. She had effectively tuned out their entire conversation.

She walked beside her father, trying to match his large and confident steps. They made their way through the building towards her father's study. Lord Arturo and Sergio marveled at the architecture and various objects on display along the way, raining compliments upon her father. She found it rather annoying, knowing that the lord was putting on airs. The shallow personas people put on around her father was something she was not looking forward to when she would wear the crown.

Upon their arrival in the study, the Emperor offered the men drinks to which they politely refused. Lord Arturo looked at her with question. Jessamine's father noticed and quickly explained that he wanted her to begin to learn how to handle politics for when she took over. Lord Arturo smiled and nodded with understanding.

Corvo stared indifferently.

The Emperor's own advisor and secretary, Ailred, was ushered into the room. He bowed to the Emperor and Jessamine. The man was clearly flustered, at least, more so than usual. His fidgety personality matched his thin body and short face.

"I'm sorry for my tardiness, Your Majesty! My carriage encountered some problems along the way here."

The Emperor waved the man off. "It is quite alright, secretary. I would like to introduce Lord Arturo, his advisor Sergio, and guard… Corvo, is it?"

The secretary bowed to the men. "Well, then shall we begin?" he said, approaching the Emperor's desk. He set his briefcase upon it then opened it up and began rifling through it. He swiftly draw out a large piece of paper with flourish and laid it upon the desk.

Jessamine stood quietly, observing the men talk about the treaty. She understood the basic premises of it all. The treaty would mean good things for both countries economically and her father had mentioned something to her about the brutality of Serkonan forces. Was the treaty preventing a war? No, but whole Gristol had an exemplary naval force, Serkonan warriors were known for their ruthlessness. If things in the Empire would go awry like they had in the past, Serkonan forces would devastate the people of Gristol.

The man Corvo certainly looked like a warrior. But not like one her mind had imagined when she had heard descriptions of various atrocities caused by the "barbarians" of Serkonos. Her mind had pictured something more along the lines of a pirate. Men with faces that always scowled, armed to the teeth with various weapons and a mind full of ways to torture helpless victims.

Her father suddenly cleared his throat and pointed to a clause in the treaty. "This… 'to be gifted with a Serkonan warrior, Corvo Attano…?"

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty! You see, Corvo here is not just a guard. He has spent many years in training as a warrior and assassin. I guarantee him to be most helpful to you!" explained Arturo excitedly.

"You describe him as being… proprietary."

"Well, yes. I know that Gristol society looks down on having human property, but it is a large part of the Serkonan economy. Indeed, with Corvo's breeding, he would not even be alive if he were not constantly under ownership." Sergio withdrew a document and laid it on the table as Lord Arturo spoke this.

Jessamine moved to get a better glance at the paper. It was labeled 'Title of Ownership' in both her language and Serkonan. Below was a sketch of Corvo and many details listed beside it. The document also contained various signatures, the last being that of Lord Arturo.

Her father seemed uncomfortable, and her own heart ached a little for the man. She realized what the emotions were that raged in Corvo's eyes suddenly. Determination to survive. A bit of resentment. But mostly resignation. The man had accepted his place in society, despite how horrible it was.

The Emperor addressed Corvo. "How would you feel about living in Dunwall, Corvo?" For the first time Jessamine saw Corvo blink. He had not expected the question. And for the first time she heard him speak.

He seemed to struggle for words. "I do not have an opinion."

Her father stood quietly, examining Corvo before sighing. "Alright. He will not be a personal guard, as I have my own Lord Protector, nor do I have need for an assassin. But I accept your gift. He may serve the Empire as a watchman." The Emperor leaned over the table and signed the title of ownership, still visibly struggling with the uncomfortable situation.

_My finals begin on Thursday! I'm not expecting much difficulty, so I should be able to find time to work on the story! Next chapter will be from Corvo's pov. Not sure when him and Jessamine will speak, but it's coming! Please review! I don't know if I'm going into not enough detail, or maybe too much? I'll take all the feedback I can get!_


	3. Chapter 3

Corvo felt relieved that the Emperor had signed the papers. He thought for sure that the man was going to deny the gesture, and Corvo would be forced to return to Serkonos and keep fulfilling the wishes of Arturo. But the title was reluctantly signed and Corvo was able to breathe a bit easier.

He thought back to the Emperor's daughter's reaction. She had begun staring at him again, this time with pity. It made him uncomfortable. He did not want pity. He knew his place in the world. And he knew that if he would deviate from the lot life had cast him that his chances of survival were dramatically reduced. That is if he didn't wish to be hunted his whole life. He had considered taking up piracy a few times, but he wasn't working to keep just himself alive.

The men finished discussing the ins and outs of the treaty for a few hours. They talked through the whole thing thoroughly, and Corvo could tell that Jessamine was feigning interest the whole time. He didn't blame her. Once his paper was signed, he tuned out the political babble and began relaxing his nerves.

Once things had been hammered out, everyone stood. Lord Arturo and Sergio bowed to the Emperor and his daughter and took their leave. A royal guard was called to accompany them to the door. Corvo remained in the study and an uncomfortable silence settled in the room. He straightened his stance and awaited orders from the Emperor.

The Emperor eyed him thoughtfully before turning to Lord Protector Adalmund. "Lord Protector, would you arrange for someone to escort Corvo to the guard barracks and get him settled in? I'm sure the guard captain will be able to find room for him." Adalmund bowed and motioned for Corvo to follow him.

Corvo remained and fixed his gaze on the Emperor. "Your Majesty, I do not wish to go against your orders, but I believe I would be more useful to you if I could remain close to you."

The Emperor raised his eyebrows at Corvo and the Lord Protector scoffed. Jessamine's eyes sparkled with amusement. Corvo began feeling uncomfortable again. "Young man, your services as an assassin will not be needed in Gristol, neither do I need another personal guard. Therefore, I deem it best that you join the guard ranks."

Corvo opened his mouth to say something, but a warning glance from the man made him think better of it and he snapped his jaw shut. He bowed and turned to follow the Lord Protector. When the door was shut behind them and they began making their way down the hallway Adalmund said, "You'll find yourself in a great deal of trouble if you find you cannot simply take orders without question."

Corvo's lips formed a tense line on his face. "I am not a guard."

The Protector snorted. "You are now, so you may as well get use to the idea. Also, know that if you make a habit of causing trouble I will not hesitate to push the Emperor to ship you back to your island."

Again Corvo fought the urge to shoot off another remark, and again he thought better of it. The Lord Protector did not know what sending Corvo back to Serkonos would mean for the young warrior, and Corvo certainly wasn't willing to take that gamble.

_Just accept the lot that has been dealt to you_, he reminded himself. _You're not just looking out for yourself._

…

Geoff Curnow looked up at the young Serkonan man before him. Lean and dark and quiet. Curnow didn't really have room to make for the new recruit, but the Lord Protector had told him that he had been directly assigned by the Emperor himself. So room would have to be made.

He didn't really have anything against the Serkonan. Curnow had Serkonan heritage himself, but his grandfather had been of good repute amongst their houses which had made it easier for him to rise in the military ranks without discrimination. Corvo didn't have fine breeding. And according to Lord Adalmund he was simply part of the peace treaty; _a diplomatic gesture_. The man was nothing more than a good to be bought and sold in the Serkonan market. The thought made Curnow scowl.

"Well, Corvo, I wasn't really expecting any new recruits, but I'll get you in a squad quickly so you can start learning the ropes. It's easy business really. Just walk your patrols and make sure no one starts a ruckus in the streets."

Corvo just stared at Curnow, with not a sound coming from him. He stood there dutifully, dark eyes quietly analyzing Curnow. It made Geoff a bit uncomfortable.

"Alright well, you'll receive your pay every two weeks. Standard pay. Follow the rules and perform your job well and perhaps you will receive a raise."

Corvo cleared his throat. The sudden sound from the quiet man surprised Curnow. "Could ¾ of my pay be sent back to someone in Serkonos?" Corvo asked. Curnow wasn't expecting a question like that.

"I suppose it could. It would take a while to be transferred there and changed to Serkonan currency, but sure, I don't see why not. What's the name of the person you want the money sent to?"

"Emilia Piana."

A woman, Curnow though slyly, and jotted down the name. A lover, more than likely. Although, judging by the background he could only guess Corvo had, he wouldn't keep a woman around. Men and women bought and sold as property weren't typically allowed the luxury of falling in love. Perhaps a sister then.

"Where does this woman live?" Curnow asked.

"Lord Arturo's advisor, Sergio, can help direct the money."

"Alright. I'm sure everything will work out. How about I give you a quick tour of the barracks and show you to your quarters, then?"

Corvo nodded silently, his eyes following Geoff as he stood up and walked around his desk to lead them from the office.

…

The guard quarters were dreary. Nothing he hadn't lived in before though, and certainly nicer than most places. As they passed by guards in the halls, Corvo could feel their cold stares directed towards him. They stared at his tanned skin, black leather clothes, and black hair that framed his face. He ignored them though, and listened intently to Curnow as he was given the tour.

Finally, the general stopped at a room set in a long hallway filled with many doors. He opened the door to reveal some bunks. "Alright, Corvo, you can stay in this room. Your roommates should be returning in just a bit from their shifts. Tomorrow morning you can meet with your corporal, Corporal Bryant, and he'll set you up with your uniform and show you your duties. Your day starts at 6 a.m. There'll be regular reviews, so put forth your best and you can expect rewards. Good luck," Curnow spoke.

Corvo nodded in response and ventured into the room, not bothering to acknowledge Curnow's leave. The room was relatively bare, but Corvo tested a bunk he assumed to be his, as the others were made and this bunk had the linens all folded at the base, waiting to be put on the mattress. It was more comfortable than most beds he had slept in.

Corvo began slipping the sheets onto the mattress when two men came shuffling in. They seemed put off by his presence, their gruff appearances matching their gruff attitudes. "Oi, they told us there was a new recruit and we was lucky enough to have him be joinin' us, and that it was a Serk, no less!" one of them exclaimed.

Corvo wasn't put off by the emphasis put on his heritage. He knew was the other nations thought of Serkonos; that it was a hostile place filled with scoundrels and backstabbing characters, and the only good thing about it was the long beaches that provided an ideal vacation for nobles. Corvo couldn't deny those assumptions. So he just eyed the men.

"Well, my name is Aldrich," the shorter one said. He had dirty blonde hair and a fair complexion, but made up for his rather unthreatening height with muscle bulk. "And I'm Claude," the other one finished. He stepped up to Corvo, clearly making an assertive stance and darkening his hazel eyes in harsh analysis of the Serkonan. Corvo didn't have the energy to return the challenging look and simply replied, "I'm Corvo," before returning his attention to the bed.

He heard their scoffs behind him and thought for a moment that Claude would try to face off with him again, but he heard them scuffle to their own bunks.

Within a few minutes, all three had settled into their bunks. Corvo felt the weight of the days' events weigh down on him, and relief spread through his mind in the reminder that he would not be returning to the service of Arturo. His eyes closed heavily and sleep took over.

Yay! I finally got around to finishing the third chapter! I thought that once I went back home from school I would sit down and write and write, but that turned out to be false. And every time I would sit down to write, something else would come up and I would have to save and exit. But I'm gonna start work on the fourth chapter right away, and it won't be starting off where I just left off. I'm excited, though.

_Thank you to everyone for the encouraging reviews! When I posted the first chapter, I was so anxious actually posting fiction. I'm more used to writing nonfiction, argumentative papers, I wasn't sure how much people would understand my nerdy obsessions. Ya'll are the best!_

_Note: If you enjoy the Thief games, I've started a story called 'Precursors' that you should check out! There's only one chapter up right now, but it's about the new Garrett's ancestors, and will be involving old Garrett, in case you aren't a fan of new Garret. He's the only Garret I know though, so I've been having to do some serious research into the old games._

_Thanks again!_


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